Dr. Mark joins BASIS Independent Brooklyn as an advanced Chemistry Subject Expert Teacher for our High School Program, bringing more than five years of experience in teaching undergraduate general chemistry at the university level. He also has experience mentoring undergraduates in individual research experiences, resulting in four peer-reviewed publications. While a teaching assistant, he received teaching excellence awards. Prior to teaching, Dr. Mark spent years in process engineering and semiconductor manufacturing research and development roles. He graduated from Suffolk University and then went on to receive his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from Iowa State University.

Mr. Adler joins our Upper School faculty as a Math Teaching Fellow. For the past two years, he has worked as a private tutor in math and chess. Mr. Adler recently graduated from the University of Chicago, where he was both a student instructor with the Young Scholars Program and a teaching assistant for Calculus I and II. While in college, Mr. Adler led strategy games clubs, including poker, chess, and Go. He is proud to say he defeated Hikaru Nakamura in a match sponsored by the University of Chicago Chess Club in May 2021.

Mr. Kheyfets joins BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Math Faculty from the Russian School of Mathematics, where he was an enthusiastic instructor in algebra, geometry, and calculus. He graduated from Fordham University with a degree in Applied Mathematics. He also has experience as a private tutor for middle and high school students. Mr. Kheyfets is both a ballroom dance instructor and competitor outside the classroom!

Ms. Gutheridge joins BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Math Faculty as a tenured teacher with more than 10 years of experience teaching math. She focused on differentiated learning activities that helped raise the overall testing scores of her students year over year. She also worked to bolster students’ academic and social-emotional development through advisory classes. She graduated from Clayton State University and just moved to Brooklyn.

Ms. Usmani is a Latin Subject Expert teacher who aims to make Latin fun and accessible for everyone. Ms. Usmani joins BASIS Independent Brooklyn from UCLA where she worked as a Teaching Assistant. She graduated from DePaul University in Chicago. She continued on to receive her master’s degree in classics from UCLA, and pursued her PhD there as well. She is a member of Eta Sigma Phi, the National Classics Honor Society, and she was the founder of the Ancient Greek Reading Club while at DePaul.

“I love the Latin language and ancient history. Studying Latin can help students expand their vocabulary, broaden their understanding of grammar, and provide the background of Roman history and culture. Additionally, I love studying mythology (especially in the original language) and am excited to share my enthusiasm with students.”

Ms. Usmani brings years of experience working with children in developing engaging educational programs at museums. While working at the Field Museum in Chicago, she developed education initiatives, including their beloved “Dozin’ with the Dinos” overnight program. Before that, she developed interactive programs at the Chicago Children’s Museum.

Ms. Usmani chose BASIS Independent Brooklyn because the mission of the school aligns with her values. “I admire the school’s combined commitment to social-emotional wellness and academic rigor. Additionally, I was impressed by the wide range of extracurricular activities that are available to the students.”

In her free time, Ms. Usmani enjoys taking ballet classes, playing the piano, and drawing.

Mr. Adams is a Latin Subject Expert teacher in the Middle and High School School Programs at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. Previously, he was a Latin Teacher at a private school in Manhattan, where he taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grade for the past two years. “Latin is not a dead language – it is the parent of the Romance languages, and still very much serves as the basis in terminology for many present-day careers. The irony that this most classical of Classical subjects is not best served by the Classical teaching model, which treats students as tabulae rasae, is not lost on me; but as Latin was once a living language it is best taught in an environment that recognizes the humanity of its learners.” Mr. Adams graduated from Trinity University and spent years in academic publishing followed by archeological research. He returned to college as an adult, receiving two master degrees – one in Art History with an emphasis on cultural heritage preservation from Rutgers University, and a Masters in Adolescent Latin Education from Hunter College.

Mr. Albertson is a Gr. 2 Learning Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Lower School. Previously, he served as an LET at our sister campus in Manhattan.

Mr. Anthony is a Physical Education Subject Expert Teacher at our Upper School campus. He comes to us from Fusion Academy, where he worked as a physical and health education teacher for two years. He also currently coaches Triboro United SC. Previously, he was assisted the technical staff at Queensboro FC in capturing the USL-A Northeast Championship in their inaugural season. For the past three years, Mr. Anthony worked as a coach and personal trainer to youth and adult clients.

Mr. Bedes is a French Subject Expert Teacher in our Middle and High School Programs. He brings more than a decade of experience in language instruction. Previously, Mr. Bedes was a French language teacher for three years at the French Institute Alliance Francaise. He also taught French to middle and high school students at Wuhan Foreign Languages School. Before that, he taught Spanish to tenth and eleventh-grade students at a high school in Saint-Orens-de-Gameville, France. Mr. Bedes graduated with high honors from Sorbonne University with a master’s degree in languages, literature, and foreign cultures. He was born and raised in France, so he is a native speaker.

Mx. Bonder is a Subject Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. They graduated from Bard College with a degree in political studies. After graduation, they took a job for a year before moving to New York City and launching a career in education. Mx. Bonder started working at BASIS Independent Brooklyn first in Operations and then moved into teaching once a position opened up. They have been a tremendous addition to our faculty ever since. Mx. Bonder has always been drawn to the classroom, and they are extremely excited to nurture the curiosity of our Bears!

Outside the classroom, Mx. Bonder enjoys composing digital music. They also love to garden, learn more about plants, and play on a casual soccer league in their free time.

Ms. Bunkers is a Subject Expert Teacher in BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Science Department, and she looks forward to nurturing an environment for students where curiosity and creativity in all subjects can flourish. In 2012, Ms. Bunkers graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Oberlin College. During her undergraduate career, Ms. Bunkers worked in laboratories both in Ohio and Chicago, participating in research on subjects varying from invasive species to oral cancer. In 2011, Ms. Bunkers had the opportunity to travel to Australia where she worked with Landcare Australia, rehabilitating natural habitats and providing botanical illustrations for their book about native Australian plants. Ms. Bunkers joined BASIS Independent Brooklyn in 2017. Ms. Bunkers was drawn to the beauty of BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s facilities, but more importantly, the dedication of its teaching faculty and staff. She is thrilled to work amongst such impressive colleagues. In her free time, Ms. Bunkers can be found playing the piano, working on illustrations, or enjoying time out at the movies.

Mr. Byam is a Physical Education/Movement Subject Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Lower School. He brings seven years of formal teaching experience in public schools. Mr. Byam was also the Sports Coordinator for the Brooklyn College Community Partnership.

Mr. Byam graduated from St. Francis College and he has focused on supporting community outreach programs involving sports programs to help the development of young people in Grenada, West Indies. He is passionate about integrating social-emotional lessons into his classes.

Mr. Chen is a language enthusiast! He joined BASIS Independent Brooklyn in 2017. Mr. Chen earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Shanghai University in China in 2009. He continued on to earn his master’s degree in nuclear engineering with a full scholarship from the same university in 2012. Previously Mr. Chen taught Mandarin at P.S. 9 and P.S. 166. He also worked with Qtalk Publishing LLC to develop the QTalk method being used worldwide to teach many languages. “As a Mandarin Teacher at BASIS independent Brooklyn, I truly enjoy teaching the students each day. I offer a full Mandarin immersion classroom, providing young learners a chance to acquire the language naturally. It is very important to me that my students are making progress and enjoying the learning process,” says Mr. Chen. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, learning Spanish, and traveling.

Mr. Coonrad is the Subject Expert Teacher for Gr. 4 English and cannot wait to start a new school year! During his time at BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Mr. Coonrad has had the opportunity to share his passion for ELA with a variety of grade bands in our school. His passion for reading and writing started at an early age, and he is extremely excited to help students in our Primary School embark on a lifelong journey of reading and writing. Originally from New Jersey, Mr. Coonrad studied literature at Ramapo College of New Jersey and graduated summa cum laude. He is proud to say that the only job he pursued after graduation was at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. During his undergraduate studies, Mr. Coonrad had the pleasure of learning from Shakespearean scholars, published poets, and other acclaimed academics. All of these fantastic educators influenced and encouraged him to pursue a career in education. Outside of the classroom, you can find Mr. Coonrad with his nose in a book, hanging around Prospect Park, watching Manchester United, or eating pizza.

Ms. Davies is a Subject Expert Teacher for our Middle and High School Programs, and she looks forward to fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment where students are encouraged to delve into subject matters that interest and excite them to promote their academic growth.

In 2019, Ms. Davies graduated with a Bachelor of Science in environmental science and environmental economics and policy from the University of California, Berkeley. During her undergraduate career, Ms. Davies worked in laboratories at Berkeley studying how gross domestic product (GDP) and social outreach impacted different nation’s commitment to environmental policy. She also worked with the Mayor’s office at Berkeley to develop economically viable environmental infrastructure plans for the city’s future development. Ms. Davies chose BASIS Independent Brooklyn due to their dedication to academic excellence, and the commitment of her fellow teachers.

In her free time, Ms. Davies enjoys crafts of all kinds, training for marathons, and settling in with a good book.